Moonlight Hearts
by Huntress of Night
Summary: Kiara Brandt gets invited to Port Royal by her father. What happens next? Find out inside!
1. A simple invitation

Kiara Brandt had lived all her life in solitude at the London Institute for Girls. She got up every morning, dressed in her school uniform and went to her classes. It was the Friday night before summer vacation when she got a letter from her father, a rarity in itself.

She went to her dorm and sat on her bed and looked at the letter, which felt heavier then it should have been. She ripped the envelope open, pulled the letter out and read:

_Dearest Kiara,_

_How has life been in London?_

_I have missed you greatly and I was writing to offer you a chance of a lifetime, a chance to come to Port Royal and stay here with me until you feel the need to return to London. I know I have exactly been the best father, but I wanted this chance to make up for all the missed birthdays and Christmases. Please grant an old man such as myself the chance to see his only daughter. I have written to the Headmistress and she says that all you need do is say the word and you may leave the school._

_I cannot wait to hear from you,_

_Your Loving Father_

_P.S. I remembered that you loved nothing more than to see real pirate's treasure so I sent you a real golden coin. Treasure it always._

Kiara dug turned the envelope upside down and a golden coin slid out and onto the comforter next to her. She picked it up and looked it over as is gleamed somewhat eerily in the moonlight.

She went over to her desk, coin still in hand and sat down. She pulled out a piece of paper and her blood red ink pen and wrote:

_Dear father,_

_London has been quite well actually._

_I can hardly wait to come see you a Port Royal. I do not mean to be a bother, but are there not pirates at Port Royal? Do you not fear for you life every day and night? Is it still as I remember it (minus the pirates, of course)? But I do not care about the pirates and nonsense. I only wish to see my loving father, whom I lay no blame on._

_I count the days until I may see you,_

_Yours truly,_

_Kiara_

She looked at the short letter and, when she was satisfied, walked down to the mailroom to have the letter sent to her father.


	2. a safe voyage and a safer return

Three weeks into summer vacation, a letter from Kiara's father came and read:

_My Dearest daughter,_

_I am overwhelmed that you have accepted my invitation and I must inform you that you are to arrive in Port Royal by means of ship. I have provided a ticket for you and you are to leave in 4 days time. _

_I love you and cannot wait to see you,_

_Your Father,_

_Russell Brandt_

Kiara read the letter day and night until Headmistress came in one night. Kiara looked up from the letter and into the Headmistress' steel gray eyes.

"Yes Headmistress?" she said, sitting upright on the bed, amid all the mess of her packing.

"I…I just came to wish you a safe voyage and an even safer return." The woman said, her British accent thick in her words.

Kiara stood and nodded.

"Thank you Headmistress. Am I being escorted to the pier tomorrow or will I be going alone?" she asked, her sea-foam green eyes shining slightly in the light. The Headmistress nodded and, after bidding the girl goodnight, left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Kiara stayed up all night packing all of her closest belonging. When the morning sun was creeping up over the walls of the school, Kiara closed her suitcase changed out of her clothes.

She walked to the shower and got in. She sat in the corner of the shower, the water still falling on her, and thought.

_What if Father doesn't recognize me? No, Father would never forget me…_

She got out of the shower and toweled off, looking at the dress that lay on the bed. Her roommate, Lily, woke up and looked at her.

"Need some help there, Princess?" she asked teasingly and playfully. Kiara smiled and nodded.

Lily laced up the corset and tightened it until Kiara was gasping for air.

"…Goodness! I can't breathe…Loosen it! Please!" she cried, gasping for air. Lily laughed and shook her head.

"No way Princess! This is how sophisticated women look. Hourglass shape, pale complexion…" Lily said, rambling.

"Thank….You…" Kiara gasped, lifting her suitcase off the bed. She walked down the hallway until she got to the front door. The Headmistress walked behind her.

"Thank…You…Head…Mistress..." she said, out of breath. The Headmistress beamed down at her.

"I am going to accompany you to the pier."

Kiara nodded, unable to gather the breath for the words.


	3. Divide, Conquer, and Kidnap

3 silent hours later, Kiara was onboard the fastest ship that could be gotten on such short notice.

"I'd…Like…to thank…you, Captain Pierce. "Thank you…for…taking me…to…Port…Royal…" Kiara gasped slightly, fanning herself lightly.

Captain Pierce beamed at Kiara.

"It's no problem at all. I knew your father before he went to Port Royal…What a wonderful man he is. I'd be honored to escort his lovely daughter to see him." He said, a hint doting in his voice.

Kiara took no notice to this and continued to look at the stretching sea, through which the ship was elegantly gliding through.

"Captain," she said, looking toward where the sky and sea met, "Are we expecting a storm today?" she asked, looking toward the captain and pointing to the starboard side.

"No, why?" he asked, looking to where Kiara pointing and saw the sky darkening.

"Sir, a storm approaches." One of the mates said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Sir, I see a ship approaching!" another mate yelled, looking through his spyglass.

Captain Pierce cursed under his breath, then looked to Kiara and said, "Kiara, I want you to go into my quarters and stay there. No matter what you hear. Am I understood?"

Kiara opened her mouth to protest.

"Am I understood, Miss Brandt?" he asked, turning his back to her.

"But…"

"Captain's orders. Understood?" he asked sternly.

"Yes, Captain Pierce, sir." She said, going down to the captain's quarters.

"Mr. Locke?"

"Yes sir?" Mr. Locke responded, rushing to the Captain's side.

"Lock her in there. I don't want her coming out here. Understood?" he said, walking away, his back to the First Mate.

Locke stood there, soaking in the orders.

"NOW, Mr. Locke." He commanded, back still to the First Mate.

Locke hurried and locked Kiara in the quarters and, upon hearing the door being locked, she began to bang on the door in protest.

Within moments, Kiara could hear shouts, swords clanking and dying cries of men. She banged on the door a few times and then everything fell silent as the grave. Kiara's breath was the only sound heard until there was a sharp bang on the door.

Kiara repelled from the door and into a closet, closing it quietly behind her.

"We know ye be in there, lassie. We heard ye pounding on the door." A voice said, the door handle trying to be turned.

_This is it. I'm done…They're heard me…What do I do? _Kiara thought frantically, looking around in the closet.


	4. Bloody Cooperation

Kiara scarcely moved let alone took a breath. The voices outside the door quieted and seemed to be going further away from the door. Kiara opened the door slowly and quietly and stuck her head into the deadly silent room.

_Maybe, just maybe, they've decided to leave…_ she thought as she slipped out of her shoes and tiptoed out of the closet. She opened the door and looked into the faces of the pirates that had been outside of the closet.

" 'Ello love."

"Parley!" Kiara said, looking her would-be captors in the eyes.

"Damn that 'parley'…Damn the man who came up with that word." The pirate named Pintel muttered, turning to his partner in crime, Ragetti.

"The French?" Ragetti whispered, looking over Pintel's shoulder.

"I want to speak to your captain. Grant me this and I shall cooperate completely on said voyage. Oh, and one more minor request. I request that the dying and wounded be tended to…Including Captain Pierce." She said, sounding as brave as she wished was.

Pintel and Ragetti nodded and held their arms out for Kiara. She reluctantly locked arms with each man and walked onto the ship's deck, with was almost completely carpeted with bodies. Captain Pierce lay pinned up against the railing of the ship.

Kiara broke free and ran over to the wounded Captain, who was pinned there by a sword through his heart.

"Are you okay?" she asked, the question, though intended to be caring, was a bit naive of her.

"I…I'll be okay. Did those brutes hurt you in any way? I swear if they did, I will kill them with my own hands." He gasped, the pain visible on his face.

"No," she whispered, "No they did nothing to me. Try not to move, everything is going to be okay. Please stay here with me…" Tears welled in her eyes.

"The sword…take it out. Please. Let my suffering stop…" he requested, his eyes looking glazed over.

Kiara stood and nodded. She gripped the sword and pulled with all of her might until the sword gave out and she tumbled backwards.

"Captain…" she began, crawling over to him and propping him up against her, his blood covering her dress.

"Please…Call me…Christopher." He smiled a pained smile.

"Christopher. You will be Captain of these seas forever." She whispered, feeling the life drain from the wounded Captain. She listened to his ragged breath slow and then finally stop.

Pintel and Ragetti walked over to her slowly, unsure of what she might do.

Kiara stood and faced the men.

"I'm ready to go…And I will cooperate…" she said, tears staining her cheeks.

Both men held their arms out and Kiara linked arms with them once more, walking amongst the dead bodies.


End file.
